Jose Cirineo (L), Jose Cirineo, Jr. and Charles Portland talk to recruiters at the U.S. Gas and Electric, Inc. Company as they look for jobs during the RecruitMilitary Career Fair at Land Shark Stadium on August 20, 2009 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Jose Cirineo (L), Jose Cirineo, Jr. and Charles Portland talk to recruiters at the U.S. Gas and Electric, Inc. Company as they look for jobs during the RecruitMilitary Career Fair at Land Shark Stadium on August 20, 2009 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – South Florida veterans and military service members who are in need of a job can get help at the Hiring Our Heroes/RecruitMilitary Veteran Opportunity Expo Thursday.

More than 30 organizations are on site with national, regional and local opportunities. The local expo, which began at 11 a.m., is held at Sun Life Stadium until 3 p.m.

The Hiring Our Heroes/RecruitMilitary Veteran Opportunity Expo is part of a nationwide initiative to increase the hiring of veterans by producing special career fair hiring events.

Veteran Rick Nelson attended the event Thursday. He said he has been job hunting for 10 months. Nelson said he has 10 years experience in juvenile justice and spent six years in the US Marine Corps.

“I’m hoping to be employed basically,” he said. “I’ve worked in senior management for 10 years so I’m hoping to at least have another opportunity to show my skills in management. I’m used to leading people.”

Potential employers said they’re hoping to hiring veterans and military spouses.

“We’re looking for sales, IT background, people in operations and some even basic (positions) …even managers,” Robert Walker of RecruitMilitary said.

Potential employers said veterans have many skills that can be utilized in many fields.
“I’m trying to use my transferable skills to go into another area,” Nelson said.

Recruiters said it’s they’re trying to find the best person for the job.

“There are jobs available,” Hampton Dowling with Sabre Systems said. “It’s just right now getting the word out and it’s a challenge from a recruiting standpoint to get the right people from such a large number of available, large labor pool.”

The event, held by RecruitMilitary.com in cooperation with the American Legion, will help corporate America respond to a challenge issued on Aug. 5 by President Barrack Obama. Speaking at the Washington Navy Yard, the president challenged businesses to hire or train 100,000 unemployed veterans or their spouses by the end of 2013.